Ex Longhorns Quinn Ewers, Michael Taaffe Enter Dolphins Training Camp with Things to Prove

"Run it back!"

That's the rally cry for former Texas Longhorns captains Quinn Ewers and Michael Taaffe, who are reunited on the Miami Dolphins after the latter was chosen in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

While their history runs deep together in Austin, this is a new challenge for the quarterback and safety as they enter their first NFL training camp as teammates.

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The road ahead is less familiar for Ewers, though this will be his second season with the Dolphins. A former top-rated recruit in high school and three-year starter with the Horns, Ewers is adjusting to life as a backup and searching for opportunities to rise the depth chart.

He'll do so with new personnel around him other than a former teammate. Miami signed former Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis to a three-year contract with $45 million guaranteed. That's clearly QB1-level compensation and trust in free agency.

The Dolphins are also led by new head coach Jeff Hafley. Suddenly, the second-year man Ewers is one of the longest-tenured leaders in the locker room among coaches and quarterbacks.

That puts him squarely in QB2 responsibilities. Training camp will be his place to show the new staff what they could be in store for if there's a decision to move off Willis or in the event of a shuffle due to an injury.

The three-year pro Willis will be entering his first season as a full-time starter, most recently backing-up Jordan Love for two years. In 11 appearances with the Packers, Willis has been solid, completing nearly 80 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Ewers has also flashed in his few snaps. Last year as a rookie, the Southlake native started three games and showed the long-range ability that made him a star in Austin. The numbers - 66 percent completion with three touchdowns and three picks - don't exactly tell for full story from a tumultuous end to the Tua Tagovailoa/Mike McDaniel era.

"I really think you've seen Quinn take the next step of, 'All right, I'm owning what this is right now,'" said Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. "'Let me take advantage of kind of the little bit I already know and let me go out and just play what I see, and play convicted and let it rip.'"

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For Taaffe, this started-from-the-bottom arc is familiar territory.

The Austin native rose from a walk-on spot to an All-American defensive back who was the anchor of Steve Sarkisian's defense.

He'll once again start his career at the bottom of the totum pole, needing to prove himself against his peers.

It's a crowded, new-look defensive back room for Miami this year under Hafley. The Dolphins added depth in the first round with San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson in addition to Taaffe. There is also a crop of promising young pieces returning.

There is also former Indiana Hoosier Louis Moore coming to Miami on an undrafted free-agent deal. Moore nabbed six interceptions last season for the eventual national champs, making him the only other college All-American in this Dolphins rookie class, along with Taaffe.

At safety, Taaffe's typical position, second-year starter Dante Trader Jr. returns after appearing in all 17 games a year ago in his first season playing the position. Lonnie Johnson Jr. is a veteran acquisition who is also in search of a new role with 92 games of experience under his belt.

The Dolphins begin training camp on Aug. 2 at Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami.